1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an improved fishing leader for use at the end of fishing line, to be connected to fishing lures or bait.
2. Description of Related Art
A fishing leader is a connector, which is secured to the end of a fish line. Typically, the leader has a swivel with a clasp of some type attached thereto. The clasp is secured to a fishing lure or live bait.
A leader used in fishing has many functions including transmission of energy, which is imparted by the fisherman through the fishing line to the lure at the end of the leader. The leader gives the fishing line added strength at the end of a fishing line which prevents a fish from breaking the line or freeing itself. Oftentimes, with teeth bearing fish, such as northern pike and muskies, during the process that the fisherman is reeling in the fish, the fish will attempt to chew on the portion of the line connected to the lure. Thus, it is advantageous to have a high strength leader, which cannot be chewed through. Fishing leaders also provide easy attachment of different lures on a line instead of having to tie a new knot from the line to the lure every time a fisherman changes a lure. Finally, leaders also may have swivels, which allow the lure or bait to rotate in the water, without the fishing line rotating.
Commercially available leaders have traditionally been composed of carbon steel, stainless steel, plastic or the like. A fishing leader is required to have many characteristics, including strength, flexibility and resilience against deformation. However, at present, these leaders kink quite easily, which results in a deformed leader. Kinking occurs in a variety of manners. Reeling in a fish may kink the leader, due to the tensile stress applied to the leader, attempting to free a leader from weeds or sunken debris may kink a leader, and also the leader may be kinked during storage in a tackle box or on the fishing pole.
The problems encountered with a kinked leader are twofold. First, the kink weakens the leader at the point of kinking. This weakening could result in the leader breaking, thus losing valuable lures as well as fish. Secondly, a kinked leader affects the action of lures. Lures are carefully designed to have a particular action in the water. This designed action is meant to attract fish. If the leader connected to the lure is kinked, the action of the lure is adversely affected, which lessens the thrill of fishing as well as resulting in less fish being caught. Thus, there is a need for a fishing leader which is kink resistant.